Phylogeny and evolutionary history of Mavropanorpa n. gen. (Mecoptera: Panorpidae)

Abstract

Mavropanorpa n. gen. is an Asian genus of scorpionflies with about 17 species, evidenced as monophyletic mainly because of the crossing of its thin subsidia (accessorial structures of the aedeagus). The genus diversified in continental east Asia before one species reached Japan, founding an evolutionary branch including Mavropanorpa japonica (Thunberg, 1784). The sister species of japonica migrated back to continental China and developed into today's M. kellogi. Lack of a medigynial apodeme in female M. japonica, lewisi and close allies is not plesiomorphic, but a result of reduction. The same holds for the shape of the subsidia and the lack of their crossing in M. japonica and M. kellogi, for which there is a pre-stage in M. nipponensis. Mavropanorpa and the type species of Panorpa, P. communis are compared with each other. A new genus name (Calliopanorpa) is also proposed for Panorpa takenouchii Miyaké, 1908 which is only superficially similar to Mavropanorpa. – Some morphological structures are renamed to avoid confusion with terminology in other insect groups or because unjustified homology might be inferred.